Yes, you can also buy local, organic dandelions at New Seasons.
Susan Ballarini
I am absolutely THRILLED about this wine, but I still do not understand how to make it. How much water, sugar, if any, length of time for aging or anything. What have I missed? Or do you leave it in the bag?
Hey Susan, the wine recipe I got is from a cool little purple booklet called Winemakers Recipe Handbook.
Martha, funny I was just at Whole Foods and saw the dandelion greens and thought how funny it is for people to buy them at the store when they are everywhere. Although the ones in the store are probably slightly less bitter than the wild ones I’m guessing.
Anyone notice the picture of the mutant dandelion? WTF?
jhereg
Hi Susan, the water to sugar ratio is pretty fungible. If you want a very light wine, try a ratio of about .5 lb sugar to 1 gal water. I highly discourage going above 2.5 lbs sugar to 1 gal water. Personally, I generally go with ~ .8 lb.
Also note that honey can be used in place of sugar, with even better results (imo).
I like to age mine for at least 2-3 months, but that’s mostly cuz that’s as long as I’m willing to wait 😉
Re: store bought dandy greens: I always laugh my ass off when I see those… 😀
Great pics. I especially noticed the mutant multiple. I would argue that for health reasons, I would recommend buying dandelions from Whole Foods rather than picking them from the poisoned city sidewalk.
Yours look amazing, however. Lucky. We don’t get very many dandelions down here. I always love seeing a whole yard or field of them in the NW pics.
Happy fermenting
Dana
Kevin: How poisoned they are depends on a lot of factors but Susun Weed said something interesting about that–that the carbon monoxide from automobile exhaust, at least, is GOOD for plants because the first step in photosynthesis is to lop off that second oxygen atom from the CO2 they pick up! Being next to the road lets them skip that step a little bit.
But, here’s a thought–even sillier than the dandy greens at Whole Foods is the fact that you can BUY dandelion seeds. O_o All ya gotta do is go out and pick the fluffballs and presto, there’s your damn seeds. What is it with some people? Anyway, whatever might be on the seeds, if you grow them in a cleaner environment, the plants ought to be fine.
Ah, I did this too! Did you ever find a simpler way to separate the petals from the heads? I imagine that is what you’re doing in the fourth to last picture. I found it to be rather tedious. I also added raisins and a lemon peel and an orange peel to mine because that’s what the recipe said, but then I was annoyed about it because the whole point of dandelion wine is that dandelions are everywhere, and I have to go to the natural food store for raisins and lemons and oranges because they don’t grow well here. Weirdos.
10 responses to “Dandelion Wine Prep”
!!!!
????
Cool.
I want some.
I wanna make some!
😀
Urban Scout!
Your dandies look absolutely beautiful!!!!!!
I have only got 2 so far … but that is because I am in the East.
Patience, that is the key, the photos performed well!
Cheers,
Christine
Yes, you can also buy local, organic dandelions at New Seasons.
I am absolutely THRILLED about this wine, but I still do not understand how to make it. How much water, sugar, if any, length of time for aging or anything. What have I missed? Or do you leave it in the bag?
Hey Susan, the wine recipe I got is from a cool little purple booklet called Winemakers Recipe Handbook.
Martha, funny I was just at Whole Foods and saw the dandelion greens and thought how funny it is for people to buy them at the store when they are everywhere. Although the ones in the store are probably slightly less bitter than the wild ones I’m guessing.
Anyone notice the picture of the mutant dandelion? WTF?
Hi Susan, the water to sugar ratio is pretty fungible. If you want a very light wine, try a ratio of about .5 lb sugar to 1 gal water. I highly discourage going above 2.5 lbs sugar to 1 gal water. Personally, I generally go with ~ .8 lb.
Also note that honey can be used in place of sugar, with even better results (imo).
I like to age mine for at least 2-3 months, but that’s mostly cuz that’s as long as I’m willing to wait 😉
Re: store bought dandy greens: I always laugh my ass off when I see those… 😀
Great pics. I especially noticed the mutant multiple. I would argue that for health reasons, I would recommend buying dandelions from Whole Foods rather than picking them from the poisoned city sidewalk.
Yours look amazing, however. Lucky. We don’t get very many dandelions down here. I always love seeing a whole yard or field of them in the NW pics.
Happy fermenting
Kevin: How poisoned they are depends on a lot of factors but Susun Weed said something interesting about that–that the carbon monoxide from automobile exhaust, at least, is GOOD for plants because the first step in photosynthesis is to lop off that second oxygen atom from the CO2 they pick up! Being next to the road lets them skip that step a little bit.
But, here’s a thought–even sillier than the dandy greens at Whole Foods is the fact that you can BUY dandelion seeds. O_o All ya gotta do is go out and pick the fluffballs and presto, there’s your damn seeds. What is it with some people? Anyway, whatever might be on the seeds, if you grow them in a cleaner environment, the plants ought to be fine.
Ray Bradberry anyone?
Ah, I did this too! Did you ever find a simpler way to separate the petals from the heads? I imagine that is what you’re doing in the fourth to last picture. I found it to be rather tedious. I also added raisins and a lemon peel and an orange peel to mine because that’s what the recipe said, but then I was annoyed about it because the whole point of dandelion wine is that dandelions are everywhere, and I have to go to the natural food store for raisins and lemons and oranges because they don’t grow well here. Weirdos.
Wild yeast or store?